Lightning-arrester



(No Model.)

C. H. WILSON.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

Patented Mar. l2, 1889.

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37 ZZawygy J N, PETERS. Pwlwlilhognphzr, Wishington. D. C.

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cHARLEs n. wILsoN, or COLUMBUS,

PATENT OEEIcE. I

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLNOIS.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

Y SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,305, dated March l2, 1889.

Serial No. 255,593. (Nomodel.)

To LN 21171/07/1l if 71mg/ con/cerny:

Be it known that I, vCHARLES 1l. lVILsON, a f citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lightning-Ariesters, of which the following is a full, clear, conl cise, and exact description, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiieation.

My invention relates to li ghtnin g-arresters; and it consists in two springs placed over metal plates, the two springs being connected by a fusible wire supported upon a bead upon a frame or base in such manner that the springs are normally suspended above the underlying metal plates, respectively, one of which plates connects electrically direct to the ground, while the other connects with a return-wire extending through a galvanometer, annunciator, or other indicating device and battery or generator to the line-wire or direct to ground. vWhen a strong current is sent through the connecting-wire, it is fused er elongated, and the springs by their own tension are brougl'it against their respective metal My invention also relates to a galvanometer or indicating apparatus, by means of which it may be determined when the wire of a lightning-arrester has been fused or elongated.

My invention is specially designed for use in telephone-exchanges, but maybe employed in connection. with telegraph, district, or other wires. The line coming in is connected with one of the springs, and thence the circuit may be traced through the fusible wire and the other spring and the wire of the cable leading to the switch upon the switch-board, and thence through the switch and an annunciator or other apparatus to ground in the usual manner. The lightning-arresters may be arranged side by side upon a common base, which may be placed in the tower or in the terminal boxes upon poles. The base is preferably provided with a bead, on the opposite sides of which are placed metal plates. The fusible wire passing over this bead rests, preferably, in the slet of a metallic screw, the object of the screw being to prevent the fusible wire, when heated, from sinking into the wood and to make more certain the fusing of the wire. The springs are held by their connecting fusible wires passing' over the bead out of contact with the metal plates. lVhen a wire is fused or elongated, its springs close upon the underlying metal plates. The line is thus closed to ground, and at the same time the oflice portion of the line by a separate connection forms a complete local circuit. By means of a battery and galvanometer, either permanently or temporarily .placed in the circuit with the metal strip, it may be readily determined when a wireis fused or elongated. As there are many springs over each plate, it is readily determined which particular circuit lias been interrupted by the falling of the drop or signal of the particular line.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view showing the base provided with two lightning-arresters embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrative of the circuits.

The base u maybe of wood, and is provided with a bead or strip, b, in which are inserted the screws fr. on opposite sides of the bead, as shown, the block being preferably cut away or grooved, as shown, to afford room for the metal plates. The circuit wire e is connected with the springf of the lightning-arrester, and its normal circuit maybe traced thence through the fusible wire g to the other spring, 71, and thence by wire i, which may be a wire of a cable, to the usual spring-jack, 7i', and thence through annunciator Z to ground. The fusible connect` ing-wire g] may be of lead or German silver or any fusible metal, and must be of sufiicient resistance to be fused when current of undue strength is sent over the wire. The springs f h are so adjusted that when the connectingwire g is broken they will close upon metal plates c d, respectively. The spring j' is made so as to possess less tension than the spring 7L, in order to insure against the former mak-` ing contact with the underlying plate without the spring 7i. making contact with the plate underlying the latter. Any line e is thus automatically connected to ground by the closing of its spring upon plate c. lVire z', which leads tothe switch-board orto ground,

The metal plates c d are placed IOO is also closed at the same time When spring h closes upon plate d. Between strip d and its ground I provide a galvanometer or indicating device and battery, as shown, so that when spring h closes upon strip d the fact will be indicated by such indicating device, and the local circuit having been completed through the Wire e', spring-jack 7c, and annunciator Z, the latter falls and indicates the particular line interrupted, the galvanometer or indicating device indicating the particular location of any series of lightning-arresters.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the base CL, provided With the bead b, of lightning -arrester springs arranged in rows on opposite sides of said bead and suspended by fusible Wires passing over the bead, and common ground connections or strips c d, substantially as described.

2. In a lightning-arrester, the springs f 71,

connectedrtogether and suspended by a fusible Wire passing over a screw-head, g, in combination with the underlying contact-pieces c d, the tension of spring 7L being greater than the tension of spring f, to insure the closing of spring h upon its underlying connectingpiece d When the connecting-Wire is fused or elongated, substantially as described.

3. In a lightning-arrester, the combination, with springs adjusted to press toward underlying contact-strips, in combination with said contact-strips, an insulating-piece separating said strips, and a fusible wire connect-ing said springs and passing over said insulating-piece to hold said springs normally suspended, substantially as described.

` In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of September, A. D. 1887. 4o

CHARLES H. WILSON. Titnessesz BEN H. BRooKs, S, F. MARSH. 

